Charles Joly

CHARLES JOLY

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER

CHARLES JOLY is Chicago native, Charles Joly, is one of the core founders of Crafthouse® Cocktails and the palate behind our perfectly balanced recipes. Spending the better part of the past two decades honing his craft behind the bar, Charles is one of the most respected bartenders in the field.
With a passion for hospitality and a keen eye for detail- perfectly balanced, creative, seasonal cocktails are the cornerstone of his style.

Charles has been the mind behind some of the most refined cocktails bars in the world, with his last venture earning a James Beard Award, the highest honor in the culinary arts. His long list of accolades include being crowned Global Bartending champion in the 2014 World Class competition, besting over 50 countries to become the first American to hold the title. He has twice been named top American bartender and is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in craft of the cocktail.

Along with developing Crafthouse®, Charles travels the globe presenting educational seminars on spirits and cocktails in every corner of the world. He has been featured prominently on the Today Show, Rachel Ray, Steve Harvey, The New York Times and countless other media outlets as an expert in the field. Charles is regularly invited to make cocktails alongside the top chefs in the world. He draws the same respect and expectation for what is in our glass as these chefs do with your plate.

Charles’ goal in creating Crafthouse® was to bring the same quality of ingredients and attention to balance that you would expect while sitting at the bar with him. Every step of the process has been curated and overseen in ingredient and spirits sourcing. Other bottled cocktails often fall short of expectation because they try to taste like a cocktail. Charles oversees the preparation of each batch of our cocktails and is there to taste and approve. The difference, we make actual cocktails with the same type of ingredients he uses when behind the bar. Nothing artificial, no preservatives and the highest quality spirits. With anything in life, the end result will only be as good as the ingredients that go into it.